The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-01-14

"Oh anu "ati5' Don't you remember a..
that he must have had devilish craft ~ 'ps
derful lucks Ha, hal SO he had, W. "
the good of the best laid plans ia IA
without a little luck, to back thema Opr 49,. q"
reckoned on his luck, and it stood H. KY
Well.n nH
"Who is the manp demanded the a..
eagerly. UN~T
Il don't know him. y replied the other ~.
ing back and passing his hand across N.
ewes. AT least not-not in tangible form
have him in my mind, though, and there s.
distinct. Shall / go onan
eff you please said the doctor VIM, !
creased interest. He was practical ~
ed to be told of a real murderer, not e. Is 4
troduced TO a creation of disordered iptelT
gence.
1--WE will go back, y resumed Mr. Mer,,.
folding his arms and staring ut vacancy. ahaee
in the history Of the bearded man. sav
hour before he was alone in the train With v,,h
the man ne killed. He is at Baker Street e.
buys a tirst-class tickle: to Noting Hin CAT
He is not bearded then, mind you. He mn.
that ticket in his pocket, crosses the road .,a
takes a ticket to Aldersgate Street, which !.
uses Alone in the train, he places the Gin.
ped over the unclipped ticket, and with 81.
penknlfe makes :hem correspond In that j..
spect. You see he has now his ticket froo
Baker Street to Noting Hill Gate duly cir
ped as though he passed through the gates 81
the former station. He alights at Aldersyats
and makes his way, above ground, to Farripy.
don Street. On the way he assumes the beard
and widens out the brim of his hat-in 6pe.
the clerk described him correctly-bearded
coat-collar turned up, dry umbrella. So he
entered the train-the carriage the ,lsee
where it was done.n
Here Mr.. Merlin came TO a full ston.
"Go on" said the doctor, in a low yoice
His interest, reawakened, was now doubly H.
tense.
HE left the carriage at Cover Street, con
tinued the narrator after a long pause, 'and
mingling with the crowd that hurried to the
gates, slipping off his beard. He dropped bis
ticket from Harrington Street almost at the
feet of the ticket-collector, who, he was sure,
would afterward pick it up under the impress
sion that he had dropped it himself. Then he
stole out of the crowd aud reentered the train
three compartments away from the one he bad
left. In a few moments he was a different
man. He had burned the hair Of the beard,
twisted up the wire and thrown it out Of the
window, turned up the brim of his hat turned
down the collar of his coat, and put on a silk
muller. Moreover, he had taken a bottle Of
water from his pocket with which, leaning out
OF the window, he had saturated his umbrella.
OIL he was another man altogether, and 4
passenger from Baker Street to Noting ELI
Gate. And three compartments from him
was dlscoyed a self-slain man, knife stif IN
hand.n DR.. Ford stared at his visitor In
amazement. He could not see his face, how
ever, for the lamp was shaded and his hand
was against his cheek. Was he made And a
murderer, tool Or victim to terrible but
absurd fanciesl
zane why did he do it2n asked the doctor,
throwing a soothing scepticism into his voice.
Merlin's right hand slowly sank from his
cheek to the table, and rested on an ivory pa
per-knife. At that moment his DARK. sace be-
came ilumined by the glare from q fresh coal
on the fire, which suddenly caught ablaze
Seeing that face, the doctor shuddered It's
sharp lines were drawn and twisted into MD
eous shape by the demons within the man.
Terror, hatred and craft were all written there
In intertwisted contorted characters, and the
hot, sullen eyes, shifting and reasonless
glowed like fire from within dark caverns.
.sThe motivea' said the mad man, jerking
the words out, and fdgeting in his chair, while
the doctor watched him, calmly but yigiiantiy.
"a new motiyel Conceit-sublime or dam
nable, which you will-but conceit. The
papers, the public and the police had said OF
ten that it could not be done, at least not
without detection. 1.-THE bearded man,
mean-he proved that 1t could, and proved =
great truth. Welll2 be continued, after 1
moments pause, his voice rising sharply and
harshly. sis that not sufficient! Had you
been in the carriage instead OF Cowani You
would have died as he did. Why do you look
at me like that. Isn't it enough that dead
eyes follow me? He tries to speak-you oonh
! His lips move, but the blood foods bis throat
and he can only gasp. Hank! can you hear IVY
Curses on you. sir Speak, sayP'
Merlin rose to his feet. HIS thin, sinevy,
right hand grasped the paper knife. His eyes
burned with revengeful, murderous fury IKE
! those of q wildcat. The scalp ana ears
seemed to retreat, as might an iniurlaseu
| monkeys, leaving the face more sharply prom
inent than before. 1t was almost incredioie,
and it struck DIR. F~ord-despite the critical
character of the situation-that even the neu
of madness could transform SO handsome :
man into such carnate ugliness. The DOCTOR
rose also, gazing firmly upon the face q ms
dangerous visitor.
You have no occasion to be either annoyeu
or alarmed, Mr.. Merlin,' he said quietly
ss1he story's not quite finished" yelled tne
mailman. whose ewes were fixed upon the OH
er's breast. ssYou will have the rest LOu
shalll / struck Cowen thusv' There #as {
blow like lightning; but the thin, Drit1le Ia
nv broke harmlessly against DR.. Ford's pl ssi
| chest. The doctors strength was proyc'e..d
among..his male friends. lie was SCI . ~ exfrs